Battery terminal clamp



BATTERY TERMINAL CLAMP Filed June 12, 1959 Inventor Wwww 4E" yiwyafiwa W y M A m Patented Mar. 11, 1941 rarest OFFICE BATTERY TERMINAL CLAMP Lynn Fullington, Anderson, Ind, assignor of onefourth to Jcseph W. Campbell, Anderson, Ind.

Application June 12, 1939, Serial No. 278,785

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a battery terminal clamp, and has for the primary object the provision of a device of this character which will provide an easy and efficient quick detachable connection between an electric lead and the terminal post of a battery which may be conveniently operated without the use of a special tool and in many instances may be brought into clamping and non-clamping relation with the post by the hands and fingers of the operator and when arranged in clamping relation with said post will provide a positive electric connection between the post and the lead.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of con struction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following de scription and accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view illustrating a battery terminal clamp constructed in accordance with my invention and showing the application thereof to a terminal post of a battery.

Figure 2\ is a side elevation illustrating the terminal clamp applied to the terminal post and occupying a non-clamping position.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the clamp applied to the post in a clamping position.

Figure 4 is a plan View illustrating one of the elements of the clamp.

Figure 5 is a side elevation illustrating the element shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a plan view illustrating the other element of the clamp.

Figure '7 is a side elevation illustrating the element of the clamp shown in Figure 6.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 5 indicates in entirety a battery terminal clamp which may be readily applied and removed to a slightly tapered post 6 of a conventional battery l without the use of a special tool consisting of a pair of elements indicated by the characters 8 and 9 which when rotated relative to each other will bring gripping action on the post and when rotated in a reverse direction will release said gripping action on the post so that the clamp 5 may be readily removed from the post.

The member 9 includes in its construction a socketed or sleeve-like portion It in which an electric lead ll may be secured in the usual way. The member 9 also includes an annular body it and which defines an opening ll arranged eccentrically of the annular body and the walls of said opening are tapered, as shown at ii, to provide a restricted gripping edge i3. The top face of the body ill is disposed in a plane below the top of the sleeve-like portion IE! to provide a seat for the member 8 and one end of the sleeve-like portion Ill is undercut to form a locking shoulder i l. The outer or peripheral face of the body Ill is also tapered as will be apparent from an inspection of the drawing.

The member 8 includes an annular body 15 having an opening 16, the walls of which are tapered to define a gripping edge I! arranged opposite the gripping edge l3 of the body ll) of the member 9. The opening I6 is arranged eccentrically of the body i5 and the latter has formed integrally therewith a finger piece [8 having an undercut portion to present a locking shoulder Ill. The outer face of periphery of the body it is beveled.

In adapting the clamp to the post 6, the finger piece i8 is arranged in alignment with the sleeve portion ill of the member Elandthemembersfi and ill are then brought into seated relation with each other, as shown in Figure 2, and placed over the post 6. The finger piece I8 is then swung laterally of the sleeve-like portion Ill of the member 9 and the locking shoulder I 9 comes in engagement with the outer beveled face of the body it of the member 9 while the outer beveled face of the body if) moves in engagement with the undercut shoulder I l. The body [5 moving into engagement with the shoulder 14 and the locking shoulder l9 moving in engagement with the body portion it brings about a camming action of the members ii and 9 with relation to each other causing the biting edges to grip opposite sides of the post and thereby establish an efficient electrical connection between the clamp and the battery post. To release the clamp from the post it is only necessary to swing the finger piece l8 in a reverse direction until it parallels the sleeve-like portion it of the member 9 or until the parts assume the position as shown in Figure 2 when the members 8 and 9 may be separated from each other as well as being removed from the battery post.

It will be noted that the eccentric arrangement is such that member l8 may be swung for locking purposes to either side of the longitudinal axis of member 9 to eliminate interference with battery cap removal and replacement for filling purposes, also for connection to a post at either end of the battery.

Thus it will be seen that a very efficient, durable and compact clamp has been provided which may be easily brought into clamping relation with a post and released therefrom whenever desired without the use of a special tool. It may be necessary in some instance to establish an efiicient gripping action between the clamp and the post to tap the finger piece I8 a blow with a hammer or similar tool. This also applies when removing the clamp from the post in order to release the tight gripping action of the members 8 and 9 on the post.

It is believed that the foregoing description, when taken in connection with the drawing will fully set forth the construction and advantages of this invention to those skilled in the art to which such a device relates, so that further detailed description will not be required.

Having described the invention, what I claim is:

In a battery terminal clamp, a pair of terminal clamping members of annular form, respectively, loosely fitting over said terminal in superposed relation and relatively rotatable about said terminal, said members having flat engaging faces provided with sharp circular inner edges, whereby said edges are arranged to bite into said terminal in a substantially common plane, a sleeve extending laterally from one member for receiving an electric lead therein, and a finger-piece extending laterally from the other member, said sleeve and finger-piece providing manipulative means for rotating said members, and said members having tapering outer circumferential faces, and said sleeve and finger-piece having undercut inner ends fitting over said faces of the members, respectively, to prevent axial separation of the members-said outer faces of the members being eccentric to the inner edges whereby under rotation thereof said members are cammed inwardly by said undercut ends to cause said inner edges to bite into said terminals.

LYNN FULLINGTON. 

